Directory last modified date

Question

Am wondering when the directory last modified date is changed. I modified a file inside a particular directory (via FTP), but the directory's LMD did not change. How is it suppose to function?

Answer 1

The mtime (modification time) on the directory itself changes when a file or a subdirectory is added, removed or renamed.

Modifying the contents of a file within the directory does not change the directory itself, nor does updating the modified times of a file or a subdirectory. If you change the permissions on the directory, the ctime changes but the mtime does not.

Answer 2

一个目录就像一个包含文件名列表的文件（实际上，你可能不小心在编辑器中打开了一个目录，在那里你可以看到它是一个大部分可读的内容列表） - 所以它被修改了添加，删除或重命名该目录中的文件时。